Cystic Fibrosis and Vitamin C: Research and Observations

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CFRaw

Cystic Fibrosis and Vitamin C: Research and Observations

Post Number:#1  Post by CFRaw » Thu Nov 03, 2011 12:06 am

Hey everyone,
My names Jeff, and I am a spouse to someone with Cystic Fibrosis. I am posting on this forum to share my research efforts and observations regarding Cystic Fibrosis and the use of orthomolecular supplements to target key deficiencies that may greatly effect the physiological manifestation of the disease.

Please note I am not a medical doctor and am in no way giving medical advice to others. This is all research/education purposes only.

Cystic Fibrosis is a chronic illness that primarily affects the lungs and the digestive system. It is caused by a genetic defect of a protein in the body known as the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator (CFTR). Multiple systems necessary for maintaining health in the body have been indentified that are interdependent on the proper functioning of the CFTR. These include:

Antioxidant Levels in the Lungs (glutathione and vitamin c)
Fatty Acid Balance

Researches at the Children's Hospital & Research Center At Oakland have been studying the relationship between the CFTR and Vitamin C and have discovered that vitamin C plays a role in the normal hydration of airway surfaces, and that vitamin C deficiency may lead to dry, sticky mucus membranes lining the airway.

"When the airway is not sufficiently hydrated, it becomes susceptible to infections, which may eventually cause asthma attacks in asthmatics," said Illek. "Increased intake of vitamin C may loosen those sticky airway secretions and improve clearance in the respiratory tract. Vitamin C may prove to be an effective, safe and low-cost treatment to improve current therapies, including bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics."

On August 9th, 2011 my spouse began taking 10 packets daily of lypo-spheric vitamin c from livon labs. She took 5 packets in the morning and 5 at night. At this time her FEV1 had slowly been decreaseing over the years and was stable at 46% for months, the doctors were suggesting that this might be her new 'baseline' because it would not rise up any higher.

For those who don't know the FEV1 is the volume exhaled during the first second of a forced expiratory maneuver started from the level of total lung capacity. It's used to measure the progression of chronic lung diseases.

Also note, she was taking 10g of DHA/EPA from molecular distilled fish oil and doing some sort of cardio workout each day, such as 10minutes on a stair stepper.

On August 17th her FEV1 had already risen to 52% and sputum colour had changed to a much nicer looking colour.

A steady rise was witnessed and by September 11th her fev1 was 67% a number that she had not blown in atleast 5 years

We then switched to a different liposomal product containing Vitamin C, Glutathione, Resveratrol, Curcumin, Coq10, and since then her FEV1 hit 72% a number which she has not seen atleast 6 years.

I have to go for now, i will post more tonight.
Here is these research I originally collected...
Research
Glutathione
New Insights Into the Pathogenesis of Cystic Fibrosis
http://www.glutathioneexperts.com/pdfs/glutathione-cystic-fibrosis-6.pdf
Systematic deficiency of glutathione in cystic fibrosis
http://jap.physiology.org/content/75/6/2419.abstract
The importance of glutathione in human disease
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBoQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maxintern.com%2Fglutathioninhumandisease.pdf&rct=j&q=glutathione%20in%20human%20disease%20pdf&ei=4T6lTYTZD8r10gG-6ujoCA&usg=AFQjCNFMJYdS5Qm4cJB5KTt5Lq5a-00jpQ&cad=rja
CFTR directly mediates nucleotide-regulated glutathione flux
http://www.nature.com/emboj/journal/v22/n9/pdf/7595104a.pdf
Glutathione metabolism and its implications for health
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/134/3/489.full.pdf+html
Improvement of alveolar glutathione and lung function but not oxidative state in cystic fibrosis
http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/cgi/reprint/169/7/822.pdf
Improvement in clinical markers in CF patients using a reduced glutathione regimen
http://uvicf.org/researchnewsite/glutathionenewsite/JCF449.pdf
Glutathione exhibits antibacterial activity and increases tetracycline efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
http://www.springerlink.com/content/x2062p64w10683w8/
Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyocyanin directly oxidizes glutathione and decreases its levels in airway epithelial cells
http://ajplung.physiology.org/content/287/1/L94.full.pdf+html
Glutathione dysregulation and the etiology and progression of human disease
http://r.b5z.net/i/u/10062314/f/GSH_Article_-_Biol._Chem_Mar_2009.pdf

Vitamin C
Vitamin C Research Hints At New Treatment Of Respiratory Disorders
http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx ... d=15486320
Vitamin C controls the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channel
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9174484
Plasma vitamin C concentrations in patients with cystic fibrosis: evidence of associations with lung inflammation
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9174484
The New Potential of Vitamin C by Steve Hickey PhD and Hilary Roberts PhD
http://www.unovita.no/files/The%20new%2 ... in%20C.PDF
The Use of Vitamin C as an Antibiotic - Fred R. Klenner, M.D
http://injectablevitaminc.com/images/Ch10.pdf
Virus Pneumonia and Its Treatment With Vitamin C - Dr. Fred R. Klenner, M.D.
http://www.whale.to/v/c/klenner2.html
Orthomolecular asthma treatment
http://www.orthomolecular.org/resources ... 1n08.shtml
Lack of Vitamin C Linked to Respiratory Disorders
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=136
Safety of High Dose Vitamin C
http://www.crnusa.org/safetypdfs/007CRN ... taminC.pdf
Vitamin C, Titrating to Tolerance - Dr. Robert F. Cathcart, M.D
http://www.orthomed.com/titrate.htm

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Re: Cystic Fibrosis and Vitamin C: Research and Observations

Post Number:#2  Post by majkinetor » Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:25 am

Thank you. I wish you all the best and let us know further advances.

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Re: Cystic Fibrosis and Vitamin C: Research and Observations

Post Number:#3  Post by Jacquie » Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:47 pm

Wow!! Those are some dramatic improvements in lung capacity!

This is the first I've heard of using Vitamin C for cystic fibrosis treatment, and I'm very interested in your results.

CFRaw

Re: Cystic Fibrosis and Vitamin C: Research and Observations

Post Number:#4  Post by CFRaw » Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:57 pm

Keep in mind, I believe its a combination of all the things she is doing. \

The lungs of a person with Cystic Fibrosis are normal at birth, and as the condition develops the lungs become increasingly deficient in antioxidants. This appears to cause acute induced scury of the lungs and a systemic deficiency is Glutathione.

The bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa is found colonized in most people with CF. It is known to establish a antibiotic resistent biofilm in the lungs. See the research below demonstrating that in a healthy mouse glutathione levels in the lungs naturally rise 3x and prevent the bacteria from establishing, whereas in the CF model there is no increase of glutathione.

Another very important apsect to take in to consideration is the research demonstrating CF symptoms may be linked with fatty acid balance. People with CF with elevated levels of the fatty acid Arichodonic Acid, which is a pro-inflammatory acid, and they have decreased levels of the anti-inflammatory acid Docosahexaenoic Acid.

Dr. Barry Sears is a proponent of high dose pharmaceutcal grade fish oil. Look him up :)

High doses of omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA may be very beneficial to CF in helping reverse the biochemical cause of the excessive cycle of inflammatory response that plagues the CF condition.

I have a question for you pros out there, she has been taking 10g of lipo-c for 3 months now, and for about 2 weeks, the extended liposomal product i meantioned in the last post. How long should she keep using the Lipo-C, as long as there is notable clinical improvements??

Also when the times come, is it advisabe to wean down from the high 10g dose of lipo-c?
Thats all for now
Thanks

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Re: Cystic Fibrosis and Vitamin C: Research and Observations

Post Number:#5  Post by Johnwen » Fri Nov 04, 2011 4:29 am

Owen can give you better advice on the lipo!
My question is it enough?

In the mean time do some research on Quercetin and CF might be a good addition to her regimen.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is
research!

CFRaw

Re: Cystic Fibrosis and Vitamin C: Research and Observations

Post Number:#6  Post by CFRaw » Fri Nov 04, 2011 9:39 am

Thanks for posting Johnwen! Yes I have looked in to quercetin, i believe it may be a CFTR potentiator!

There are quite a few natural existing phytochemicals that seem to be activators of CFTR.

Curcumin was shown to correct the Cystic Fibrosis defect in mice and restore normal chloride function, however this did not pan out in human trials, but in my opinion they were too quick to push curcumin to the side. There has been noted benefits from many patients taking 3-8g doses of powder, but it's important to note that the powder form of Curcumin is not very absorbable, I believe this was the conclusion of the sutdies in humans, they just couldn't get therapeutic levels of it into the body...

Its all about the delivery system, and trials of people with Cystic Fibrosis and nano curcumin have not taken place.

One more thing I want to make sure I add, she is still following her conventional medicine therapies for CF and doxycycline (shes been on antibiotics constantly for a long time, but her numbers only started to go up when additional supplements were added, and cardio workout.

We just got her results back, and even though her lung function improvement has been nothing short of AMAZING, she still has 4+ staphylococcus aureus lung infection. Chronic lung infections are common in CF but knowing the power of Vit C, I have wondered if 10 packs a day isnt enough. And, she was taking 5 in the morning 5 at night, would taking all 10 at once be more effective to combat bacteria ???

Need some of Owens wisdom right about now! :) hehe

Thanks
Jeff

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Re: Cystic Fibrosis and Vitamin C: Research and Observations

Post Number:#7  Post by chachazoom » Sun Nov 06, 2011 12:14 am

You might want to look into nebulizing glutathione (theranaturals makes an excellent capsule)

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Re: Cystic Fibrosis and Vitamin C: Research and Observations

Post Number:#8  Post by ofonorow » Sun Nov 06, 2011 6:45 am

I have a question for you pros out there, she has been taking 10g of lipo-c for 3 months now, and for about 2 weeks, the extended liposomal product i meantioned in the last post. How long should she keep using the Lipo-C, as long as there is notable clinical improvements??

Also when the times come, is it advisabe to wean down from the high 10g dose of lipo-c?


You can mention the other product - is it from letstalkhealth.com ?

Your question is whether 2 "small" (est. 25 to 50 g) IV/C equivalents (10 g Lypo-C, 5 packets twice a day) can be reduced. The results seem fantastic.

I think what I might try to do to reduce the expense. (You are on a carton of Lypo-C every 3 days!) is try to convert some of her intake to ordinary vitamin C, depending on her bowel tolerance. Conservatively 10 packets Lypo-c is 50 g vitamin C (ascorbic acid) equivalent, (but estimates go as high as 100 to 200 g equivalency.)

Do you know her bowel tolerance for ordinary vitamin C?

If she can tolerate say 50 g of regular ascorbic acid/sodium ascorbate mixed daily, then you should be able to at least reduce to 5 Lypo-C packets once per day (e.g. before bed).

Thanks for keeping us informed.
Owen R. Fonorow
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